Get 50 amp from a 20/30 shoreline

It's A Good Life!! · 11-08-2006, 05:49 PM

As long the 20 amp is not a GFCI, we can use both the 20/30 and get 50 amp by using the cheater plug/dog bone by Progressive Electronics. Camping World has it now. Hope this helps!!

It's A Good Life!! · 11-08-2006, 05:49 PM

As long the 20 amp is not a GFCI, we can use both the 20/30 and get 50 amp by using the cheater plug/dog bone by Progressive Electronics. Camping World has it now. Hope this helps!!

jimandsue60 · 11-08-2006, 06:22 PM

Hi Christopher, I searched camping world for that product and could not find it. Can you provide me a part # or link for that adapter. It sounds interesting.

Thanks
Jim

MikeT · 11-08-2006, 07:23 PM

It's the first product shown under electrical adapters --- It has two 30 amp pigtails, put a 20 amp adapter on one -- Providing as prior stated, no ground fault at the power pole at the campground. The ground fault will trip--

50 amp adapter

It's A Good Life!! · 11-08-2006, 07:29 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by jimandsue60:
Hi Christopher, I searched camping world for that product and could not find it. Can you provide me a part # or link for that adapter. It sounds interesting.

Thanks
Jim </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Hi Jim, We got our Cheater Box from www.securerv.homestead.com (Secure RV) Part #55-2755 $77 at the time I purchased it. The Cheater box plugs into a 20A and 30A outlet on separate circuits to provide a 240V/50A service outlet, enabling coaches with 50A service to have full use of RV appliances. Includes a 30A to 15A adapter. Works great!

Secure RV

Oemtech · 11-09-2006, 02:53 AM

In theory this works.... Unless the wires come off the same leg. You may be drawing 50 amps off the same wires. Be careful

RustyJC · 11-09-2006, 03:47 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by It's a good life!!:
Hi Jim, We got our Cheater Box from www.securerv.homestead.com (Secure RV) Part #55-2755 $77 at the time I purchased it. The Cheater box plugs into a 20A and 30A outlet on separate circuits to provide a 240V/50A service outlet, enabling coaches with 50A service to have full use of RV appliances. Includes a 30A to 15A adapter. Works great!

Secure RV </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Well, not quite. A 50 amp RV has 2 hot legs with 50 amps capacity on each leg, for a total ampacity of 100 amps. This cheater box can only provide a total ampacity of 20 + 30 = 50 amps.

Rusty

It's A Good Life!! · 11-09-2006, 02:50 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by RustyJC:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by It's a good life!!:
Hi Jim, We got our Cheater Box from www.securerv.homestead.com (Secure RV) Part #55-2755 $77 at the time I purchased it. The Cheater box plugs into a 20A and 30A outlet on separate circuits to provide a 240V/50A service outlet, enabling coaches with 50A service to have full use of RV appliances. Includes a 30A to 15A adapter. Works great!

Secure RV </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Well, not quite. A 50 amp RV has 2 hot legs with 50 amps capacity on each leg, for a total ampacity of 100 amps. This cheater box can only provide a total ampacity of 20 + 30 = 50 amps.

Rusty </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Good point Rusty...every RV has a different system and what works for us may not work for everyone. If we're able to get 30/20 = 50 amps w/ our cheater plug, our power distribution center recognizes 50-amps and distributes the power appropriately. The only time it has not worked/tripped is if the 20-amp in the box has GFCI.

We also purchased a surge protector in case we get don't get true 20/30/50-amp service. We were at a CG providing 30-amp and only got 20-amps, which shut us down in the middle of the night while we were sleeping and woke up to the life sucked out of our house batteries and blew the converter...converter had to be replaced. The surge protector is just a piece-of-mind.

Greyhound · 11-10-2006, 03:56 PM

I guess I am missing something. If the word is "Cheater", then I guess there is something wrong. I have a 50 amp coach and try to park where I can get and pay for 50 amps. If I am unable and must use 30 amps, then so be it. I have been in parks that will cut the plug if they see it.
Call me old fashion or ?, but you use what you pay for. If the park is not a 50 amp park, then live without.
Sorry guys, cheater is the same as stealing in my book.

Bob

It's A Good Life!! · 11-10-2006, 04:36 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Greyhound:
I guess I am missing something. If the word is "Cheater", then I guess there is something wrong. I have a 50 amp coach and try to park where I can get and pay for 50 amps. If I am unable and must use 30 amps, then so be it. I have been in parks that will cut the plug if they see it.
Call me old fashion or ?, but you use what you pay for. If the park is not a 50 amp park, then live without.
Sorry guys, cheater is the same as stealing in my book.

Bob </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

OMG! Bob, that's just silly. If I pay for a site that provides me with a shoreline box, which comes with two and sometimes three outlets for my use, i.e. RV, awning lights, or anything I see fit and I paid for it, then I will use it. So for the sake of argument, we can change the name from "cheater" to "rerouted" utilization of what's already being supplied and paid for. I think it's important to also say not to condemn others for being creative for utilizing what's been provided to them.

Easyrider · 11-11-2006, 11:32 AM

Hmmmm, interesting thoughts on both sides of the equation, I don't know the answer myself, but I do find the question of whether you are cheating or just being creative very interesting. Lucky for me I don't have to worry with only 30 amp required. We ordered it that way since almost all of the campgrounds we've been to only supply 30 amp hookups anyway and with only 1 supply line I guess that's all we would get with or without any type of adaptor. Reminds me of a county fairgrounds we attended a rally at recently, they had an electrician there ( I think he worked for the fair grounds only ) who was replacing all the 15 amp plugins with 30 amp plugins while not upgrading the wiring supplying the power at all, he also was adding ( more than doubleing ) the number of outlets at the poles so everyone would have a outlet to plug into. We didn't have any meltdowns while we were there but I would guess the life of the wiring was going to be severely shortened by his actions!

CaptBill · 11-12-2006, 06:04 PM

What's in a name? I bought a Water Thief which provides a hose bib at a water faucet that does not have one. Does that make me, and everyone else who buys one, a thief?

Same with the 50A power adapter. If you have a 50A coach, and are in a CG that does not have 50A service, but all the sites have 30A and a 20A receptacle on the power pedestal, isn't it OK to use them both? Or does that make you a thief?

RustyJC · 11-13-2006, 03:48 AM

My personal "take" on the use of the term cheater is that the term is used in an industrial, not a moral sense. To wit, a "cheater" pipe is not illegal, but rather a device used to increase leverage on a wrench. A "cheater" box, in this case, is a device used to provide a type of output (i.e., a 50 amp RV plug) that the shore power box can partially support with its 20+30 wiring, but which is not installed in the shore power pedestal. It could just as easily be called an "adapter box".

Rusty

traveler of california · 11-13-2006, 07:51 AM

I would think that one should ask permission before he does what you suggest.

Nick, Journey '01

Vet Man · 11-13-2006, 08:23 AM

If you camped at a camp ground that charges extra for the 50 amp, as mine does. Would you go to the office and pay the extra money for the 50 amp. before using the cheater?

RustyJC · 11-13-2006, 08:39 AM

1. I don't own one of these devices, so any questions regarding my use of it are strictly hypothetical.

2. I didn't "suggest" anything. I was discussing the derivation and usage of the term "cheater", which has roots in various industrial applications as well as moral implications.

3. If the campsite has 50 amp service, that's what I use. Besides, the box under discussion doesn't provide true 50 amp service (i.e., 100 amps total ampacity), as has been discussed. Rather, its purpose is to provide the maximum available ampacity (20 + 30 = 50 amps total ampacity) to a 50 amp rig when 50 amp service isn't available. Without it, a 50 amp RV owner would be using the 30 amp dogbone adapter and struggling to operate the RV systems at 30% of design power available without tripping the 30 amp shore power breaker. Despite this, since I don't own one of these boxes, if 30 amps is the maximum that's available, that's what I use.

Rusty

It's A Good Life!! · 11-13-2006, 02:08 PM

Ok, here goes my final thought...

The adapter has been used by me if the SP only offers 20/30 and in most cases works great. Some of the SP's have a 20 GFCI therefore the adapter is obsolete. Now with that said, if a SP offers 50-amp for a little more money, then that's what I pay for and use.

I truly believe as SP's continue to improve and upgrade sites with 20/30/50 service, there will obviously be no need for an adapter. Unless, of course, I upgrade to a 100-amp MH, then I've come full circle...lol. Just kidding!! We're very happy with what we have.

I sure have to say, this discussion has been a lot of fun. And only as great as the people in it who kept it alive. A special thanks to those of you who got ticked, laughed, agreed, disagreed, and just wanted to add their two cents.

Have safe travels and an Outstanding Thanksgiving Holiday!!

peter griffin · 11-13-2006, 02:38 PM

wow! here is my thoughts...campgrounds have rules if they do not specifically read that you cant uses a cheater than why not use it...they have many other silly rules written down like for example...dont use a/c even though it is 100 degrees outside and 120 inside your rv...

Roadking · 11-14-2006, 03:18 PM

Interesting discussion however I have to agree with Rusty's usage of the term "adapter".

The park I'm currently at has a 30 amp and 20 amp circuit. This works fine until the summer time when I and everyone else in the park needs to run the AC. To run both compressors on a 30 amp pulls my voltage down to less than 100 volts. So while the voltage at the 30 amp plug of less is than 100volts the voltage on the 20 amp plug is would be upwards of 110volts.

Also when using just the 30amp circuit with the low voltage my current draw for just the AC (air conditioner) with both compressors running is upwards of 27 amps. IF the voltage is stays at 110V or more then the normal AC draw is around 22 amps. This extra current draw at this low voltage is why you should NOT run your compressors on low voltage.

My pedestal has 220V and the 30 amp and 20 amp circuits are indeed on the opposite leg of the 220 source. So I built my own "adapter" and this solved by problem.

Without this cheater I would not be able to use my AC and in addition while running the AC I would trip the breaker whenever I turned anything else on.

Using the adapter each compressor is on it's own leg and hence the current draw on each leg is reduced and the current draw on the neutral line is minimal. The Electrical engineers amongst you will understand that.

In addition I can also use the other heavy current draws like the Microwave, electric, and washer/dryer without tripping a breaker, or sucking the voltage down excessively. These devices are all on the 30 amp side. The electric water heater is on the 20 amp side and I can also use it while the AC is running.

Prior to usign the adapter I had to "manually" manage what was used else the breaker would trip. My EMS would not respond fast enough and the breakers would trip. Since using my adapter I've never tripped a breaker and I whatever electric devices I wish to use at whenever I want to.

So, is it "cheating", or is it "adapting"?

P.S. I full time and in my park I pay for every Kilo-watt I use...as dutifully recorded by my pedestal meter!!!!

Greyhound · 11-14-2006, 03:38 PM

I see by the post that I apparently opened a can of worms when I indicated how I felt about the term cheater and used it in the same sentence as stealing.
First off, I really don't care what anyone does at an RV park. They pay for what they get. The point I was making (and apparently was not clear) is those who go into a park that offers 50-30-20 on the pedestal, charges an additional dollar or two for the 50 amps only to go into the park and find the person that paid for 30, drawing 50 when it is readily available. Having done a tour as a workamper in rv parks, I have seen this.
I hope this clears things up. What you do is your business and it is not my place, nor anyone elses to tell you otherwise.

Bob